Have been having a really hard time of it lately... A lot of dad/ex bf trouble, and work stresses.
Long story short, my binging ways seem to have stopped. For the past 5 weeks I've been eating about 800 calories a day, maybe the odd 1000 day when I feel I need it. On Saturdays I let myself have up to 1500. I realise this goes against most of what is said on 3FC, and I know it's not healthy, but it's how I'm coping for now.
I have a physically demanding job which I do Mon-Fri, then Saturday and Sunday I workout for about an hour, cardio mainly.
The problem with all this is I've only lost 1lb in all this time. And i don't see why. I've done enough crash diets to know that the weight always falls off me. The only difference this time is I'm on the Pill, but I'm not really a believer in it making to gain weight directly.
Typically my day is a vitamin drink in the morning, a protein bar at lunch, then some rice, veggies, and maybe a small snack of some sort after work. I only drink water and occasional diet cokes.
I'm getting stressed beyond belief that my body is not cooperating, and there's no logical reason why. I just don't feel like eating more atm, and if I did I'd probably just gain weight given how my body is behaving now.
Has anyone else ever experienced this?
(For the record, I'm in no way condoning stupidly low calorie diets etc... But you don't choose your issues with food.)
i think its very possible your body has adapted, metabolically speaking. It has learned to function on <1000 cals a day. It doesnt require 2000+ a day to maintain anymor, like someone who hasnt *damaged* their metabolism. I am in the same boat, though not as bad. I cant even lose fat on a 1200 cal/day diet. It sux.
I would have to agree with the previous poster Unfortuanately, also it sounds like all the stress may be holding onto the weight as well. I hope things change around for you, hang in there!
Thanks for the responses. I just never imagined your body could learn to get by on so little, when you're using it so much.
My Dr knows I have had issues with food and body image so I feel kind of uncomfortable explaining the situation to them. In case they think I'm stupid for eating so little or something, when we've already talked over that kind of stuff.
I really have no idea what to do now... I've just been using the constant feeling of hunger as a distraction from the pain I'd feel otherwise. I don't normally do it like this, it has just felt like too much going wrong in one go this time.
Feels like there is no solution now Do you think it is possible maybe it's something to do with the Pill?
Stress definitely causes you to not lose weight as well, but I agree that you are eating so little your body is holding on to every calorie it has, I would at least eat 1200 calories a day, if nothing else.
I just wanted to add...I was speaking with my best friend yesterday and she barely eats...maybe 6-800 calories a day (she has been this way ever since I have known her, 22 years!) and she is not losing weight only gaining! I told her about this post and that she needed to eat more no less than 1200 calories/day or she won't be able to budge the scale. She is seeing a doctor and his treatment is medicine...sorry no amount of medicine is going to help her lose weight unless she changes her eating habits. She is not in the least bit interested in seeing a dietition or nutritionist. Eating to live is not a bad thing and is beneficial to our bodies.
serendipity---- do any of these statements/questions hit home for you?
Has it been a really long time since I took a rest week from working out?
Am I FEARFUL of taking a rest week from working out?
Do I eat very little yet not see the results I am looking for?
Do I know that I need to raise my calories, but am scared because I don’t want to gain weight by doing that?
Have I been to the doctor recently because I think I must have a thyroid issue, since I can’t lose weight?
Do I find myself scouring the internet, looking for ways to lose fat and/or figure out what I am doing wrong?
Am I consistently avoiding carbohydrates or fat because I believe they will make me gain fat?
Some of them definitely, I don't see how I can up my calories and not gain weight if I'm maintaining on this amount...
I just feel miserable and ill most of the time now. Work is so, so hard eating like this, and I am grumpy and sad most of the time.
But the thing is I still don't feel like eating more than what I have, even my evening meal is just because you can't survive on a protein bar a day. I feel sick when I eat it in the evening because I've eaten so little all day.
I feel so angry and tearful, which isn't like me at all. I know it's probably just the lack of food, but I don't know how to want to eat again. I know I need to up the calories because I can't work properly like this, and I need/want my job. But at the same time I feel like if I stop this diet I'll have to think about problems and stuff.
I feel so disgusting and used after my relationship, and I'm so mad at myself I fell for all the stupid lines. I don't really wanna think about any of that, but at the same time I feel like screaming. I've always internalised feelings though.
I guess that is what this is about, but I still don't know what to do.
I feel like such a mess right now.
I'm not an expert about this came to me after reading you post and bunch of others.
Your body think I need 1200 calories to function at optimal peak AND burn away some weight because I have some extra to work with.
BUT You're only giving me 1000, pretty consistently. I can't function like that so I'm not going to add on more or take away anything because I don't have enough to work with so I'm just going to maintain and see who this plays out.
I thinks its kind of like money. If you're only making a certain amount in theory you're going to use or spend as much because you know you're a on a fixed amount, but if you some extra came in you'll can do a few other things
Ok maybe not the best analogy, but the point is your body is telling you it ain't gonna happen the way things are so try a change. Add in 200 calories for 2 weeks and see how it goes.
Serendipity--
i was able to answer yes to pretty much all of those, and a woman named Leigh Peele helped me. She has a program out there called the Metabolic Repair Program. Google it. It does cost money. After going through the program i was finally able to lose fat again, after stalling for almost a year, die to overtraining and undereating.
no, im not a rep for Leigh peele lol but apparently her specialty is working with anorexic and obsesive exercisers, etc... now shes known as the Fat Loss Troubleshooter
I wonder if you need to change up your food choices and what you eat during the day. Sometimes shaking up your metabolism and sense of well being is more about the quality of your foods more so than just a calorie count.
What if you gave up packaged foods and had more "whole" foods. I am on very low calories, but I keep my breakfast the highest calories of the day, next is lunch and dinner is the least. I feel so much better this way. Some people feel better eating more frequently, how about small meals, a cube of cheese, a small apple, a few nuts...these types of quality food snacks rather than prepackaged bars?
I am a calorie counter, but relying too heavily on calorie numbers over food quality only spins the diet wheel and gets us no where.
To help explain the theory of your body needing more calories to lose, I've heard this explaination. Your body is like a furnace or a fire, food is like the wood. If you don't throw enough wood on the fire it will go out, but if you keep stoking it with more fuel it will burn bigger (burn calories).
At one point I was severely cutting my calories for a few weeks in a row. I noticed that my weight stopped coming off so quickly closer to the end of that crash diet. I agree with some others that I think you may need to at least go to 1200 calories. Some people have even said that having a really high calorie day can 'kickstart' your metabolism. Give it a try!
At one point I was severely cutting my calories for a few weeks in a row. I noticed that my weight stopped coming off so quickly closer to the end of that crash diet. I agree with some others that I think you may need to at least go to 1200 calories. Some people have even said that having a really high calorie day can 'kickstart' your metabolism. Give it a try!
Agreed. Early on in my journey I begam eating <1000 calories a day (closer to 800 most days if I'm being honest) & after about 20 lbs my weight loss completely stopped. I was so frustrated I could have screamed. I was light-headed most days, could barely walk, no concentration - I thought I was losing my mind. I was still overweight medically - barely out of obese - and couldn't wrap my mind around it all.
I basically took a break. It happened to coincide with a vacation, so it wasn't hard to do. I ate what I wanted, exercised every day, slept a TON, and plain old relaxed. When I got home from my trip, I had actually lost a couple of pounds. I then vowed never to eat such low calories intentionally again - - and my weight loss didn't stall again until I was down to my final 10 lbs.
Good luck to you. Beware the permanent damage you can do to your metabolism. You don't want to be stuck eating 800 calories forever (at least I wouldn't!).
A problematic diet.
Unfortuanately, also it sounds like all the stress may be holding onto the weight as well. I hope things change around for you, hang in there! 
